Unstoppable
by Aislin1
Summary: What happens when Willow gets claimed by something that cannot be fought or killed? Stand Alone fic. W/S


Title: Unstoppable

Author: Aislin

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Buffy, nor do I claim to.  I simply play with the characters for my own amusement.

Author's note:  Yes, it's Spike/Willow.  I love Spike/Willow more than any other relationship out there.  Probably because everyone says I look and act like Willow and I'm obsessed with Spike.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy my story.  Please review, I live for the feedback.

December 1999

            "The bastard!"  Willow ran into Giles's apartment with tears in her eyes.

            "Willow?  Good Lord, Willow, what's wrong?" Giles stood, quickly followed by Buffy.  The slayer ran forward and caught Willow in a tight embrace.

            "Wills?  Come on, tell me what's wrong."

            "He…he…oh, I can't believe I let him."

            "Let him?  Who's him?  And what did he do?"

            "Oz." Willow barely got the word out between the tears.

            "Oh my God, is he back?  Did he hurt you?"  Buffy had managed to get Willow to the couch.  Giles was in the kitchen brewing some tea.

            "No, he's not back.  It was…just before he left…he said it was fine, that it would be fine."

            "He did something back at the beginning of November?  Willow, it's December.  Why are you just now mentioning this?" Buffy asked.  Giles came over with a cup of Willow's favorite tea, with honey and lemon, just the way she liked it.  She took it, but her hands were shaking so bad from her sobs that it started spilling over the edges.  Giles took the cup back and put it on the coffee table.

            "I didn't think anything would happen.  We had always been so careful and it was just once and he said…  And I believed him.  Oh Goddess, I'm such an idiot."

            Buffy's eyes went wide as things began to fall into place.  "Willow, are you pregnant?"

            "Worse," Willow gasped.

            "Worse?" Buffy asked, her brow furrowing.  "What's worse?"

            "Dear Lord," Giles said, "he was a carrier.  I'm so sorry Willow."

            "Carrier?  Oz was a carrier?  Of what?" Buffy asked, confused.  Willow erupted in fresh sobs and was unable to answer her.  Giles took Buffy by the elbow and led her into his kitchen, worrying that saying it around Willow would upset her even more, if that were possible.

*          *            *            *            *

            Spike strained against the chains that still had him restricted in the watcher's bathtub.  He had heard tears and was hoping for some ammunition since he couldn't hurt the slayer or her little gang physically.

            "What's wrong with Willow?" he heard Buffy's voice clearly.  Willow?  Something was wrong with his redhead?  He hated seeing that girl in pain.  He had been obsessed with the girl since he had kidnapped her, almost a year before.  If the Initiative hadn't put the damn chip in his head he would have made her his eternal mate that night.  "What did Oz do to her?"

            Spike froze.  He'd kill that dog.  He wasn't human so Spike was sure he could kill him.  He'd kill him for whatever he had done to hurt Willow.  He'd make it all better.

            "I remember the school records mentioning it when I researched him after we learned he was a werewolf.  I figured Willow would always be safe, she was so smart.  She never seemed to be the type of person to act rashly."

            "Giles!"  Buffy cut him off.  "Get to the point.  Willow is out there in pain and I just want to know who I have to kill to make her feel better."

            "I'm afraid it isn't that simple, Buffy." Giles said, trying to break the news to the slayer slowly.

            "Of course it is.  It always is.  There's a demon, I kill the demon, and everything is better."

            "Not this time." Giles fought back tears, preparing himself to comfort Buffy.  "Oz was a carrier of the HIV virus.  I'm so sorry, Buffy.  It seems that Willow has AIDS."

            Time froze.  Spike heard the words over and over.  It was like some sick new torment.  Willow was in pain and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.  He heard Buffy's cries start.  He knew she was falling into Giles's arms.  Then, suddenly, they stopped.  Spike couldn't figure it out.  How could she grieve for such a brief time?  The answer came shortly.

            "We have to help her.  There has to be a spell or something.  Giles, we have to do something."

            "There is nothing, Buffy.  No cure, no spell.  This won't go away.  All we can do is help her deal with this." Giles's voice comforted her.

            There was one thing that would cure her, stop the virus's invasion of her body.  It had worked for Darla; it would work for his Willow.  Spike slumped down, thinking.  He had to get the chip out and he had to do it fast.  He no longer had the luxury of time.  He had to turn Willow, to save her.

*          *            *            *            *

January 2000

            Willow curled herself into a ball on one of Giles's chairs.  They didn't look at her anymore.  They refrained from touching her, it seemed they thought she was contagious.  At least they still talked to her, like she was a child, like she would break.  She was no longer allowed to do anything for herself.  She was no longer allowed to be by herself.  They walked her everywhere she went.  Either Buffy or Anya slept in the same room with her every night, alternating so they could still spend time with their boyfriends.  She was never alone anymore, but she was always lonely.

            Well, he still treated her normally anyway.  That was one of the perks of her condition.  She always got her way.  She hated seeing Spike chained up.  Sure, he was a vampire, but he was completely harmless.  She had barely mentioned that it wasn't fair and he was suddenly allowed to come and go as he pleased.  He tended to ignore her when the others were around, but when they were alone together…

            Rather when he was assigned babysitting duty so they could still live their own lives, he treated her the same way he always had.  Willow loved those evenings that came once a week.  They all spent time together researching, but when there was no big bad they alternated "Willow watching" Buffy got Mondays, Riley was given Tuesdays.  Xander "hung out" with her every Wednesday.  Anya put up with her on Thursdays.  Giles stayed with her on Firday and Sunday night was group night.  Willow was with Spike every Saturday while the group went their own ways for hours at a time.

            Saturday had become Willow's favorite day.  Spike talked to her like nothing had changed.  He told her stories of his past and asked questions about hers.  He looked straight into her eyes while she was talking.  He still touched her.  He held her close when things suddenly became too much for her to bear and the tears overflowed.  He held her hand tightly when she was in pain.  He grabbed her for emphasis when he got to a particularly scary part in one of his stories.  Spike also made Willow do things herself.  He pretended to be harsh about it, but Willow saw the softness in his eyes when he told her that she still had two working legs and two working arms and if she wanted a glass of water the kitchen wasn't that far away.  On Saturdays, Willow could almost forget that she was sick for brief periods of time.

*          *            *            *            *

            Spike walked towards the watcher's apartment, smiling smugly to himself.  He had been asking some questions around town and had discovered some things that were quite interesting.  Seemed that a few other vampires had been chipped and had managed to escape the initiative shortly after.

            Most had staked themselves, depressed and starving.  But a few had suffered and were greatly rewarded.  Seemed that vampires did not only heal well externally.  After only a month or so the chip, which was not a part of the system, became deactivated.  A few vampires thought that it was slowly worked out of the brain and floated uselessly around that skull.  Others thought that when the vampire refrained from violent tendencies for a long enough time, scar tissue was able to build up around the chip, rendering it completely inactive.  Spike didn't much care how it worked, he only cared that it did, and that he had already had the chip for two months.

            Spike entered the apartment and saw Willow in the fetal position on one of the watcher's chairs.  The others were more or less ignoring her.  They included her in the conversation every now and then, but they didn't push when she didn't respond.  He didn't blame her.  If the slayer had told him to look on this page of this book the way a kindergarten teacher tells her students to line up for recess, he would have ignored her too.

            "Hello all.  How's the evening going?" he smirked as he sauntered over to the group.

            "Not good.  There's some new demon, killed professor Walsh.  And we think it's responsible for this body we found, completely dissected."

            "Normal then, eh?" Spike gave Willow a little squeeze on her shoulder and placed a duffel bag in her lap.

            She looked up at him and smiled slightly.  "What's this?" she asked.

            "Clothes," he answered. 

            "I'm fine in the clothes I have on now." She replied, looking back down at her hands.

            "I don't know.  Sweats and a tank top don't quite meet the dress code where I'm taking you."

            "What?  Where are you taking me?"

            "That's a surprise, pet.  Now, go put the clothes on and fix your hair nice.  I'm taking you out.  You need some fresh air and a little bit of fun."

            "I don't know, Spike.  Are you sure she should be going out?" Buffy asked.  "I mean, it might not be that great for her."

            "It's exactly what she needs.  And besides, I'll be giving the watcher a break."

            "Buffy's right," Xander said, "she's not in such great shape right now.  Maybe it would be best for her to stay in."

            "She's in this room," Willow said, standing up.  "And she thinks it sounds like a wonderful idea.  I'll be back in fifteen minutes, Spike."  Willow took the duffel bag and strode into Giles' bathroom.  Spike smiled.  He knew that fire was still in her.  He intended to bring it back out before he turned her.

            The others began talking about how this wasn't a good idea, especially with the new demon on the loose.  They tried to convince Spike that Willow shouldn't be going out in her current "condition".  Spike rolled his eyes and told them to let Willow decide for herself.

            She came back into the room in a gorgeous dress that matched the green in her eyes.  It reached to the floor, covering the black high heels that had been in the bag.  The square neck didn't cut too low and neither did the back.  Spike smiled at the image she made.  The dress was flattering without being overly revealing.  He had chosen it, wanting her to be comfortable and at the same time beautiful.  He had chosen well.

            "Bye guys, don't wait up."

            "You're actually going?" Buffy asked, looking just above Willow's head, she found it hard to make eye contact with the girl lately.

            "I'll be fine.  I'm not any help here.  Don't worry, I won't be out too late."

            "I'll have her home by midnight, I promise." Spike told the slayer.  He grabbed Willow's hand and dragged her out the door before anyone else could protest.

*          *            *            *            *

            "My savior," Willow smiled genuinely.  She only smiled like that around Spike anymore.  She looked over at him and noticed his clothes for the first time that night.  He was dressed in what looked to be a tailor made suit.  All black, except for the blue shirt that brought the color out in his eyes.  "Where are we going tonight, so dressed up?"

            "I don't want to ruin the surprise," Spike glanced sideways at her.

            "And how'd you know what size I wear?" Willow suddenly asked.

            "I sort of, um, raided your closet.  Ah, your chariot, m'dear." Spike gestured to the street and Willow gasped.

            "Spike.  Is that a limousine?"

            "Yes, pet, it is."

            "Why'd you rent a limousine?"

            "I didn't.  I know the owner of the company; he owed me a favor.  A rather large favor.  The limo's mine."

            "Why are we taking a limo?" Willow rephrased her question.

            "I don't fancy driving all the way to LA."

            "LA?  You said you'd have me home by midnight!" Willow exclaimed as the driver, who was definitely not human, opened the door for her."

            "Yes, but I didn't say tonight, pet." Spike climbed in after her.  She noticed another duffel bag on the floor and looked at it before looking back at Spike.  "Like I said, luv, I raided your closet.  I figured you could use a weekend away from the Scooby gang.  I have a cell phone, you can call them from LA and tell them you'll be home at midnight, on Sunday."  He smiled when he saw the happiness in her eyes.  Yes, this was exactly what she needed.

            "Why are you being so nice to me, Spike?"

            "Cuz I like you Red.  I'm planning on making you fall in love with me this weekend."

            Willow leaned back into the seat as the limo began driving.  She felt Spike's arm go around her and thought to herself, I already am.

*          *            *            *            *

            "Buffy, please, calm down…No he hasn't hurt me, he can't hurt me remember?  Don't worry about it…No, I'll be back on Sunday.  Yes, Sunday, at midnight…No I won't tell you where I am…because then you might come hunt me down or something…listen, I'll call if anything happens…I'll see you in two days.  Bye."  Willow hung up the phone and looked around the hotel room.  Spike had gone all out and rented a two-bedroom suite.  They had to share a bathroom, but she was very glad that she had her own room and her own bed.

            Spike came in when he heard Willow hang up.  "Are you ready for our night on the town, my love?" he asked her.

            "Sure am.  Thank you Spike.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for getting me out of that hellhole for a whole weekend."  She stood and took his arm.

            Oh, I plan on getting you out of there for a lot longer than that.  How does eternity sound? Spike smiled.  He was already in love with Willow.  He wanted her to be in love with him, then he would turn her, cure her, and they could spend the rest of their unlives together.

*          *            *            *            *

            "How did you manage to get box seats Spike?  I thought Swan Lake was completely sold out" Willow gushed over a very late dinner at a very fancy restaurant.

            "I'm a vampire, luv, I have my connections." Spike said with a smile.

            "Oh," Willow's cheeks actually hurt; she had been smiling so much that evening.  But she couldn't help it.  She hadn't had such a good time since before she had been diagnosed with AIDS.  Willow sighed slightly as she remembered her disease and decided to cut right to the chase.  "Spike, I've been thinking."

            "Yes pet?" he prodded her when she paused.

            "Well, Darla, she had Syphilis before she was turned, right?"

            "How did you know that?" Spike asked her.

            "Angel told me, over the phone.  Back in December when I was first diagnosed.  He said that when the master turned her, it cured her."

            "Where is this going Willow?" Spike asked, holding her eyes with his.  He already had a good idea, but he wanted to be completely sure.

            "Well, I was thinking."

            "You said that already."

            "You're a vampire.  If we could remove the chip or deactivate it or something, then you could turn me."

            "Do you know what you're asking pet?  You're asking me to kill you."  Spike wanted to make sure that this was what she really wanted before he took her as his mate.

            "I'll die anyway if you don't.  It'll just take longer and be a lot more painful.  It already hurts Spike.  I don't want to die like that.  I hate the thought of lingering around, praying for death.  If you turn me it will be a quick death and I'll get to live a lot longer."  Willow let her eyes fall to her hands.  "I'd get to spend eternity with you."

            Spike's eyes widened.  Had she just said what he thought she had just said?  He took her hand under the table, causing her to look up at him.

            "I love you, Spike," she said softly.  "That night in the dorm, I wasn't sure.  But now I am.  I'm going to die anyway, there's no way out of it.  Please?  I'm sure I can deactivate the chip.  I could tap into the initiative's computer or something."

            "It's already done.  The chip's deactivated." Spike said, softly.

            "What?  How?  How long?" Willow's eyes suddenly widened.

            "I'm not sure, pet.  I just found out earlier this evening.  I can hurt people, I can kill again."  Spike's gaze became more intense.  "Do you really love me?  Willow, I'm a killer.  I kill people every night."

            "You make it quick though." She said, a hatred filling her eyes, not for Spike, but for the virus that was slowly killing her body.

            "Not always, luv.  Sometimes, it lasts for hours." He said, completely serious.

            "Hours.  Hah.  Hours are nothing.  Try days or months.  It could take years, maybe even decades for me to die.  That's a torture you couldn't match if you tried."  Willow was practically spitting in anger.  She was glad that they had a private corner in the restaurant.

            "Okay, I understand." Spike paused before confessing his true feelings.  "I love you, too Willow.  I've wanted to turn you for over a year now.  I just wanted to make sure that you were willing."

            "I am.  Please Spike."

            "Not now.  I want you to go out tomorrow.  Get up early and savor the sunrise.  Spend all day outside.  Watch the sunset.  It will be your last.  I'll turn you tomorrow night."

            Willow smiled at Spike.  Only one more day to live through.  She could handle that.

*          *            *            *            *

Epilogue

May 2000

            "Willow?  Honey, we're home!"  Giles groaned at the voice of Shelia Rosenberg.  He hated having to be the one to break the news to her parents, but he was the only one who could.  Willow certainly couldn't do it.  She was off in Europe with Spike.  Everyone had agreed that it would be best if she didn't return to Sunnydale after the weekend in LA.  That way Buffy wouldn't have to stake her and she wouldn't have to kill Buffy.  Giles didn't think he would ever see the redhead again.  They had put up a tombstone for her and mourned her death.  But that didn't stop the knowledge that she still existed somewhere out there.

            "Mrs. Rosenberg?" Giles stood from the sofa in Willow's living room.

            "Who are you?  Oh wait; you were the librarian at the high school, weren't you?  Why are you in my home?" Shelia came into the living room, followed closely by her husband.

            "There is something I need to tell you." Giles said, fighting back the tears.

            "What's wrong?  Did something happen to Willow?" Ira asked.  "Honey, I told you we shouldn't have stayed in Bermuda for that extra month."

            "Please, sit down." Giles said, motioning to the sofa.  Shelia sat, worry in her eyes.  She pulled Ira down with her.  "You're daughter." Giles paused.  He didn't feel right saying that.  "In early December, Willow was diagnosed with AIDS."  Shelia's hand went to her mouth.  Ira started blinking very rapidly.

            "Is she okay?  Where is she?"  Ira asked.

            "In mid January, Willow decided that she did not want to die the slow torturous death that AIDS would undoubtedly bring her.  She took a weekend trip to LA, with her boyfriend."  Giles continued, trying to be as truthful as possible with the Rosenbergs.  "On Sunday, we received a call from him.  Willow had committed suicide.  I'm very sorry to be the one to break this to you."  Giles finished.

            "She's dead?" Ira asked, tears flowing down his face.  "I told you, I told you I had a bad feeling.  We should have come home earlier."

            "It was the musician wasn't it?" Shelia asked, her eyes dry.  "He was the one who gave her AIDS.  I told her musicians were bad news.  At least he stuck around afterwards."

            "Um actually, he didn't.  He left three weeks before Willow was even diagnosed.  Her new boyfriend, William, was the one she went to LA with."  Giles replied, wondering why the woman didn't cry.  Ira had his head hidden by his hands and was shaking.  Shelia's voice wasn't even quavering.

            "Thank you for telling us.  Come on, Ira.  We should pack.  We have that trip to Italy in two days.  Again, thank you sir."

            Giles stood and showed himself out while Shelia dragged her suitcase upstairs.  He did not notice the two vampires hiding in the bushes in the early dusk.

            "I guess we're off to Italy." The red-haired vampire smiled up at her mate.

            "Yes pet, it looks that way." The blond responded, capturing her mouth with his.


End file.
